The 2016 Baja 1000 race will go green for four-wheeled vehicles at about 10:30 a.m. PST on Friday, November 18. I’m not going to disclose exactly what time I’m writing this on the 17th, but if Bill Caswell actually gets his insane old BMW into the race it’s going to be an epic story before we even hit the course.

The car’s in much better condition than it was the last time we checked in with it: stretched out in a corner of SRD’s shop as literally just a frame, a few bits of body and some “CASWELL” stickers.

Now the, uh, “finishing touches” are being applied over at EV West: a very cool little shop that performs electric conversions on rad vintage cars. (Including, apparently, a Univision executive’s Fiat Jolly?)

The proprietor is a friend of Caswell’s and the shop has graciously opened its doors to the Build Race Party team to finish the car.

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The car has an engine. It has wheels. It has lights. It has seats. Well, one of those seats isn’t in the car yet but it does exist. Same goes for the steering wheel. I’ve been holding it down at the shop for a couple hours now, overhearing things like “I’m almost positive I put the clutch on the right way.”

The project is coming to a make-or-break moment soon. If everything goes right and the car makes it to Mexico soon, we’re in. But the slightest breeze blowing against our direction could put this operation flat on its back.

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Here’s to riding rough odds on the Fury Road to Valhalla! I mean, Ensenada!